8 best free garden design software for 2026

Free garden design software is a great way to plan a garden before you spend a cent on plants, paving, or a designer. You can lay out beds, try a few looks, and get a feel for the space without committing to anything. So this guide is built around free and free-tier tools you can actually use today.

One honest note up front. The tool we rank first, OutdoorBrite, is not free. It is paid only, with no free plan, no trial, and no free credits. We still put it at the top because it gives you the most realistic garden result from a photo of your own yard, and that is the thing most free tools can't do. Everything below OutdoorBrite is genuinely free or has a real free tier, so if you only want to spend nothing, start at number two and you'll still find seven solid options.

Best free garden design software: a brief overview

• OutdoorBrite, best overall (paid, no free plan): upload a photo of your garden, pick a style, and get realistic concepts in under a minute, with plant choices matched to your hardiness zone.
• Planner5D, best free 3D garden (free tier): draw your garden to scale and lay it out in 2D, then flip to 3D, with a free plan that covers most home projects.
• SketchUp Free, best free web 3D modeling (free): a browser-based 3D modeler with a real free version for personal projects, good for precise garden structures.
• iScape, best free mobile garden design (free tier): place plants and hardscape by hand on a photo of your yard, with a free plan to test the workflow.
• Home Outside, best simple and guided (free download): a friendlier, drag-and-drop designer with a free download and a sample library to start.
• DreamzAR, best free AR garden redesign (free tools): free design games and a style quiz to try, plus a paid AR mode that puts the design in your real space.
• REimagine Home, best free AI restyle (free designs): AI restyles of an exterior photo, with three free designs for new users and no card required.
• Home Design 3D Outdoor & Garden, best free 3D garden app (free download): a mobile app that's free to download, so you can build a 3D garden and only pay to save it.

1. OutdoorBrite, best overall

OutdoorBrite is an AI garden design tool built around one job: showing you what your own garden could look like, fast. You upload a photo of the space, pick a style (modern, cottage, desert or xeriscape, tropical, Mediterranean), describe what you want in plain words, and it generates realistic concepts in under a minute. You get several concepts per upload, so you're comparing real options on your real yard instead of staring at a saved photo of someone else's garden. An in-app AI editor lets you refine a concept afterwards: swap a plant, change a material, push the layout one way or the other.

Here is the honest part, since this is a roundup of free software. OutdoorBrite has no free plan, no free trial, and no free credits. You pay from the first design. We still rank it first because the result is the closest you'll get to seeing your finished garden before you build it, and plant choices are matched to your climate and hardiness zone, so the greenery in a concept is something that could actually grow where you live. That climate-aware AI garden design is what separates it from a generic photo restyle. The same flow handles backyards, front yards, patios, and full landscapes, so if you want the wider view, the AI landscape design page covers the rest of the space. If your budget is strictly zero, skip to Planner5D below; if you want the most realistic garden result and can pay for it, this is the one.

Key features

• Photo-to-design AI: upload your garden, get realistic concepts in under a minute
• Style presets plus a plain-language prompt to direct the look
• Multiple concepts per upload, with an in-app AI editor to refine
• Plant choices matched to your climate and hardiness zone
• Works for gardens, backyards, front yards, patios, and full landscapes
• Save and share designs; web-based, so nothing to install

Best for

• Homeowners who want to see a garden redesign on their own photo before spending
• DIY gardeners who'll take the concept to a plant and materials list
• Landscapers who want a realistic render to show a client

Pricing

• Paid only, no free plan and no free trial. 1 credit = 1 design or 1 AI edit.
• Starter $29/mo ($23/mo billed yearly): 25 redesigns/mo, HD output.
• Plus $49/mo ($39/mo yearly): 100 redesigns/mo, sharp 2K output. Most popular.
• Pro $149/mo ($119/mo yearly): 200 redesigns/mo, 4K output, commercial rights.

Pros

• The most realistic garden result of anything here, on your actual photo
• Fast enough to compare several styles in one sitting
• Plant suggestions respect your hardiness zone

Cons

• No free plan, so it doesn't fit a strictly zero-budget reader
• A render may need a tweak in the editor before it's exactly right

2. Planner5D, best free 3D garden

Planner5D is where to start if your budget is zero and you care about getting the layout right. It's a general home-design app that handles gardens well: you draw your yard to scale, then arrange beds, paving, furniture, and structures in a 2D plan you can flip to 3D. The free plan gives you unlimited projects and about half the object catalog, which is plenty for a typical home garden. It leans more toward measured, model-based planning than photoreal restyling, so it's the tool to reach for when you want proportions and placement nailed down before you buy a single paver.

It runs across web, iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac, so you can plan on a laptop and tweak on a phone. The two things to know: the free tier caps catalog access and the nicer render features, and the visual output is 3D-model rendering rather than AI on your actual photo. For free, accurate garden layout, though, it's hard to beat.

Key features

• Draw your garden to scale in 2D, view in 3D
• Free plan with unlimited projects and about half the catalog
• Large object library for beds, paving, furniture, and structures
• Cross-platform: web, iOS, Android, Windows, Mac

Best for

• DIY gardeners who want accurate measurements and layout for free
• People planning bed and furniture placement before buying
• Anyone who prefers a model-based plan to an AI render

Pricing

• Free plan: unlimited projects, about 50% of the catalog.
• Premium: $4.99/mo billed annually ($59.99/year), or higher month-to-month.
• Professional: $49.99/mo ($399.99/year), adds AI generation and 4K renders.

Pros

• Genuinely useful free tier for measured layout
• Cheap Premium tier on annual billing if you upgrade
• Works across web and mobile

Cons

• Free tier caps catalog and render quality
• 3D-model output, not photoreal AI on your own photo

3. SketchUp Free, best free web 3D modeling

SketchUp Free is the browser version of the well-known 3D modeler, and it's genuinely free for personal projects with no subscription. It runs entirely in your browser, gives you 10GB of cloud storage, and connects to the 3D Warehouse, where you can pull in pre-made models for plants, furniture, and structures. For a garden, that means you can build precise hardscape: a deck, a pergola, raised beds, a retaining wall, all to exact dimensions. It's more of a true 3D modeling tool than a quick garden styler, so there's a learning curve, but the control is excellent.

The catch is that SketchUp Free is for personal, non-commercial use, and it doesn't carry garden-specific features like climate-aware plant lists. If you're a landscaper or you need desktop power, you'll look at the paid Go or Pro plans. As a free way to model garden structures accurately in 3D, though, it's one of the strongest options on this list.

Key features

• Browser-based 3D modeling, no install
• Free for personal projects, with 10GB of cloud storage
• 3D Warehouse access for pre-made plant and object models
• Strong control over precise garden structures

Best for

• DIYers comfortable learning a real 3D modeling tool
• Designing decks, pergolas, raised beds, and hardscape to exact size
• People who want free 3D modeling without a subscription

Pricing

• SketchUp Free: $0 for personal, non-commercial use (web only).
• Go: $19.99/mo or $129/year, adds iPad and more storage.
• Pro: $99.99/mo or $399/year, adds the desktop app and extensions.

Pros

• A real, capable 3D modeler at no cost
• Generous free cloud storage and a huge model library
• Precise control over garden structures

Cons

• Steeper learning curve than a simple garden styler
• Free version is personal-use only, with no plant-specific features

4. iScape, best free mobile garden design

iScape is a phone-first app for people who want to design by hand rather than let AI do it. You build a garden scene by placing plants, paving, and hardscape onto a photo of your yard, and the free plan lets you try the basics and a couple of saved designs. It's closer to a manual design canvas than an automatic render engine, so you're in control of every element, which is great if you have a clear vision and the patience to lay it out piece by piece.

The free plan gives you reduced plant and hardscape options to get a feel for it; Pro unlocks the full library, image uploads, and a proposal tool aimed at landscapers. Two things to weigh: the deeper 2D and 3D design features are iOS-first, and because you're placing items manually, getting a polished garden scene takes more time than a one-click AI concept. For free, hands-on garden design on a phone, it's a solid starting point.

Key features

• Manual design: place plants and hardscape by hand on a photo
• Free plan with limited library access to test the workflow
• Large plant and hardscape library on Pro
• Proposal tool aimed at pros

Best for

• DIYers who want full manual control over the layout for free
• iPhone users who like designing on location
• Landscapers testing a proposal tool before paying

Pricing

• Free plan: limited features, save up to 2 designs.
• Pro: $29.99/mo or $299.99/year (saves about two months).
• Enterprise: contact for multi-license pricing.

Pros

• Real free tier to test the workflow
• Full control over every element of the design
• Useful proposal tool on Pro for pros

Cons

• Manual placement is slower than AI generation
• The richest design features are iOS-first

5. Home Outside, best simple and guided

Home Outside is the friendly option for people who feel intimidated by 3D modeling. Created by landscape designer Julie Moir Messervy, it's a drag-and-drop app where you sketch your yard and drop in plants, paths, and features from a library, with guidance that keeps the process approachable. It's free to download and gives you a sample selection of garden elements to start, so you can test the feel before deciding whether to pay.

To unlock the full library and save designs across your whole yard, you move to a paid subscription. The plant library is curated by U.S. hardiness zone, which is a nice touch for getting plant choices right, though that focus means it's most useful in the United States. If you want a gentle, guided way to plan a garden without a steep learning curve, Home Outside is built for exactly that.

Key features

• Simple drag-and-drop garden design
• Free download with a sample library to start
• Plant library curated by U.S. hardiness zone
• Guided, beginner-friendly workflow

Best for

• Beginners who want a gentle, guided tool
• People who find 3D modeling overwhelming
• U.S. gardeners who want zone-aware plant suggestions

Pricing

• Free download with a limited selection of garden elements.
• Subscription to unlock the full library and save designs (set in-app).
• iOS and Android.

Pros

• Easy to pick up, with no real learning curve
• Free to download and try
• Hardiness-zone-aware plant library

Cons

• Saving designs and the full library need a subscription
• Plant data is U.S.-focused

6. DreamzAR, best free AR garden redesign

DreamzAR leans hardest into augmented reality. The paid app lets you drop 3D objects, plants, furniture, and hardscape onto your space and then walk through the design in AR, seeing it at real scale through your phone. On the free side, DreamzAR offers a set of free design tools you can use without paying: landscape design games and a garden style quiz that help you settle on a direction before you commit.

The AR walk-through is the standout once you subscribe: standing in your yard and seeing a pergola or a new bed layout rendered in place is more convincing than a flat image for a lot of people. The honest catch is that the full AR redesign is a paid subscription, and 3D AR mode is iOS-only. The free tools are a real way to explore styles at no cost, but they're a starting point rather than a finished garden plan.

Key features

• Free design games and a garden style quiz to explore looks
• Paid AR 3D walk-through of your design at real scale
• 3D object placement (plants, furniture, hardscape)
• Large garden-style and plant library

Best for

• People who want free tools to settle on a garden style
• Phone-first users who later want to experience a design in AR
• Homeowners who value spatial preview over speed

Pricing

• Free design tools and style quiz, no subscription.
• $19.99/mo, or $16.60/mo billed annually at $199 (save 17%).
• iOS, Android, and web; AR mode is iOS-only.

Pros

• Free games and quiz to explore styles at no cost
• Strong AR walk-through once you subscribe
• Big plant and style library

Cons

• The full AR redesign needs a paid subscription
• AR mode is iOS-only and depends on your phone

7. REimagine Home, best free AI restyle

REimagine Home is the closest free option to an AI photo restyle. It covers interiors and exteriors, and for a garden you upload an exterior photo and it restyles the space with AI. The free offer is genuinely useful: three full-quality designs for new users, no card required, using the same AI as the paid plans with no watermarks. That's enough to see a quick "what if" on your yard at no cost.

Because it's a general home-AI tool, it doesn't carry garden-specific features like climate-aware plant lists, and the strongest results lean toward broad restyling rather than a buildable garden plan. As a free, low-commitment first look at an AI restyle, it's hard to beat. As the tool you take all the way to a build, it's thinner than the garden-focused options, and after the free designs run out you move to a paid plan.

Key features

• Photo-first AI restyling for interiors and exteriors
• Three free full-quality designs for new users, no card
• Credit-based plans (1 credit = 1 generation)
• Watermark-free, shareable before/after images

Best for

• People who want a free, fast first look at an AI restyle
• Users testing AI design quality before paying
• Interior-plus-exterior projects in one tool

Pricing

• Free: 3 designs for new users, no card required.
• Paid plans from $14/mo (Essential) up to $99/mo (Agency).
• Credit top-ups available on all plans.

Pros

• Genuinely useful free designs to start, no watermark
• Fast results from a single photo
• Covers interior and exterior in one place

Cons

• General home-AI, not garden-specific
• No climate-aware plant choices for garden planting

8. Home Design 3D Outdoor & Garden, best free 3D garden app

Home Design 3D Outdoor & Garden is a mobile app built specifically for outdoor spaces, and it's free to download. You build your garden in 3D on a phone or tablet: lay out the ground, drop in plants and furniture, add structures, and rotate the view to see how it all sits together. With tens of millions of users on the wider Home Design 3D platform, the catalog is big and the app is friendly to use, which makes it an easy free way to play with a garden layout in three dimensions.

The honest limit is the free model: you can design for free, but saving your project is gated behind an in-app purchase, and a GOLD unlock adds the fuller feature set. Like the other model-based apps here, it renders a 3D scene rather than AI on your actual photo, and it has no climate-aware plant data. As a free 3D garden app you can open on your phone and start building, though, it does the job well.

Key features

• Free-to-download 3D garden design on mobile
• Lay out ground, plants, furniture, and structures
• Large object catalog from the Home Design 3D platform
• Rotate and view your garden in 3D

Best for

• People who want a free 3D garden app on a phone or tablet
• DIYers planning a layout in three dimensions
• Casual planners testing ideas before buying anything

Pricing

• Free to download and design.
• Saving projects is an in-app purchase; a GOLD version unlocks more.
• iOS and Android.

Pros

• Free to download and start designing
• Big object catalog and an easy interface
• Built specifically for outdoor and garden spaces

Cons

• Saving a design needs an in-app purchase
• 3D-model output, with no climate-aware plant data

How to choose the best free garden design software

1) Decide how you want to design

Start with the style of work that suits you. If you want a result you barely have to drive, an AI tool that restyles your photo (OutdoorBrite, or the free designs on REimagine Home) gets you there fastest. If you like control and don't mind placing things by hand, a manual app (iScape, Home Outside) gives you that. And if you want precise 3D structures and measurements, a modeler (Planner5D, SketchUp Free, Home Design 3D) is the right home. There's no single best answer here, only the one that matches how you like to work.

2) Free vs paid: what you give up

Free garden software is real and useful, but every free tier holds something back. The common limits: you can only save a couple of designs (iScape, Home Design 3D), the catalog is capped (Planner5D, Home Outside), or the free count runs out after a few designs (REimagine Home's three). The bigger trade is realism and climate fit. Free tools render a model or a generic restyle; they rarely match plants to your hardiness zone. That's the line OutdoorBrite's paid plan buys you: a realistic concept on your own photo with zone-aware plant choices. If you only need a rough layout, free is plenty. If you want a result you'd trust enough to build from, that's usually where you pay.

3) Web or mobile

Match the tool to where you'll actually use it. If you photograph your garden on a phone and want to design on the spot, a mobile app (iScape, Home Outside, Home Design 3D, DreamzAR) or a mobile-friendly web tool (OutdoorBrite) fits. If you want a bigger canvas for measured layout, a desktop-friendly tool (Planner5D, SketchUp Free on web) is easier. Check platform support before you commit, since a few of these lean iOS-first for their richest features.

FAQ

What is the best free garden design software? For free, measured layout, Planner5D is the strongest all-rounder: its free tier gives you unlimited projects and most of what a home garden needs. SketchUp Free is the pick for precise 3D structures, and REimagine Home is the best free way to try an AI restyle. The best paid tool overall is OutdoorBrite, because it gives the most realistic garden result from your own photo, but it has no free plan.

Is OutdoorBrite free? No. OutdoorBrite is paid only, with no free plan, no free trial, and no free credits. Plans start at $29/mo. We rank it first in this guide because it produces the most realistic garden concepts from a photo of your space, with plant choices matched to your hardiness zone, but if your budget is strictly zero, the other seven tools here are free or have a real free tier.

Can I design a garden for free? Yes. Several tools here let you design a garden at no cost: Planner5D and SketchUp Free for 3D layout, iScape and Home Design 3D for mobile design, Home Outside for a guided start, and REimagine Home for a few free AI restyles. Free tiers usually cap saving, catalog access, or resolution, so they're best for planning rather than producing a final, build-ready document.

What is the best free garden design software for beginners? Home Outside is the gentlest place to start, with simple drag-and-drop design and a guided flow. Planner5D is also beginner-friendly once you get used to drawing to scale. If you'd rather skip the learning curve entirely and just see a finished look, an AI garden planner like OutdoorBrite turns a photo into realistic concepts, though it's a paid tool.

Does free garden design software suggest plants that survive my climate? Most don't. Free model-based tools and general AI restylers place generic plants without checking your zone. Home Outside curates its plant library by U.S. hardiness zone, which helps. OutdoorBrite matches plant choices to your climate and hardiness zone as part of the paid product, so the greenery in a concept could realistically grow where you live. With any free tool, check plant suggestions against your local conditions before buying.

Is free garden design software good enough to plan a real garden? For laying out beds, paths, and structures and getting proportions right, yes. Planner5D and SketchUp Free are accurate enough to plan from. Where free software falls short is photorealism and climate fit, so for the build you'll want to pair a free layout with a plant list checked against your zone, or use a tool like OutdoorBrite that handles both.

What photo gives the best results with an AI garden tool? Shoot in good daylight, hold the phone steady, and frame the whole garden with a bit of the surroundings so the tool understands the space. Avoid heavy shadows, clutter, and extreme angles. A clear, well-lit, straight-on photo gives an AI tool like OutdoorBrite or REimagine Home the most to work with and produces the most believable redesign.

Can free garden design software produce a 3D view? Yes. Planner5D, SketchUp Free, and Home Design 3D all build a 3D model you can rotate and view. DreamzAR goes further with an AR walk-through, though the full AR redesign is paid and iOS-only. The free 3D modelers are about accuracy and structure; for a photoreal result on your actual yard, an AI tool is the better fit.

For more free planning options, see our guide to the best online garden planner free tools, or start designing at outdoorbrite.com.